Russian court fines Abkhaz journalist Nizfa Arshba for violating foreign agent law
A court in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, Russia, has fined Abkhaz journalist Nizfa Arshba for violating Russia’s foreign agent law. However, no one notified her about the fine. Authorities allegedly sent the notice to an address in Russia where she has never lived.
The court imposed a 30,000 rouble fine [about $353] on 31 August 2026. It ruled that Arshba had “posted material on the social network Facebook without indicating that the material was produced or distributed by a foreign agent, or that it concerned the activities of a foreign agent.”
Arshba learned about the fine by chance after coming across the information online. The journalist said no one had officially notified her about it.
Opposition journalist Nizfa Arshba, who runs the Telegram channel Aiashara, was added to Russia’s foreign agent register by the Russian Justice Ministry in March 2025, shortly after Abkhazia’s presidential election.
Unlike another Abkhaz journalist, Izida Chania, who also appears on the sanctions list and holds dual Abkhaz-Russian citizenship, Arshba has only one citizenship — Abkhaz. She has never lived in Russia and has no ties to the country at all.
Under the procedure, Russian citizens, including those listed in the foreign agent register, receive notifications about fines through their personal accounts on the Gosuslugi public services portal. But Nizfa Arshba is neither a Russian citizen nor a resident, so she is not registered on the portal and could not have received notification of the Vladikavkaz court’s decision.
The court’s decision also says that Arshba did not attend the hearing and did not explain why she was absent. At the same time, the court claims that it notified Arshba of the time and place where officials drew up the administrative offence report, as well as the time and place of the hearing. It says authorities sent the notice to her last known place of residence in Russia.
“I would like to know how and by whom my place of residence in Vladikavkaz was assigned to me, given that I have never lived in Russia, never held Russian citizenship and never assumed any obligation to comply with the laws of any foreign state,” Nizfa Arshba wrote on her Telegram channel.
The journalist says she does not intend to pay the fine.
Nizfa Arshba has actively opposed draft laws and Russian-Abkhaz agreements that she believes run counter to Abkhazia’s interests. One example is the controversial bill that would have allowed Russian citizens to build, sell and buy apartments in Abkhazia.
Because of similar positions, two Abkhaz politicians, Kan Kvarчия and Leuan Mikaa, lost their Russian citizenship, while three journalists, including Nizfa Arshba, were added to the foreign agent register.
For Abkhazia’s residents, this label also makes it extremely difficult to travel abroad. Russia remains the most accessible foreign destination for them, and they also have to travel through Russia to reach the wider world. But those labelled foreign agents fear travelling to Russia.
If Arshba violates the foreign agent law again, she could face criminal charges. The local authorities in Abkhazia do not pose any threat to her.
The terminology, place names and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this website.
Nizfa Arshba fined by Russian court
